Machine for making flexible shaft-sheathings.



A. B. CADIVIAN. MACHINE FOR MAKING FLEXIBLE SHAFIF SHEATHINGS.

APPLICATION man Aus. I8, IsIo.

Patented May 2, 1916.

3 SHEETS-SHEET I.

A. B. CADMAN. MACHINE FOR MAKING FLEXIBLE SHAFT SHEATHINGS.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. IH |910.

Patented May 2, 1916.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2 www?,

WW1/Leases A. B. CADIVIAN.

MACHINE FOR MAKING FLEXIBLE SHAFT SHEATHINGS.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. I8. I9I0.

Patguted May 2, 1916.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

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MDI BENJAMIN CADMAN, 0F BIELOI'I, WISCONSIN, ASSIGNR, BY IVIESNE ASSIGN- MENTS, 'IO STEWART-WARNER SPEEDOMJETER CORPORATION, A CORPORATION OF VIRGINIA.

MACHINE FOR MAKING FLEXIBLE SHAFT-SIIJEATHINGS.

IJWIJLIW.

.To all 'whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, ADDI BENJAMIN CAD- rrAN, a citizen of the United States, residing atlBeloit, county of Rock, State of Wlsconsin, have made a certain new and useful Invention in Machines forMaking Flexible Shaft-Sheathings, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to machines for making flexible shaft 'sheathings, and particularly a sheathing composed of coiled wires.

rIhe object of the invention is to Provide a machine, of the nature referred to, which is simple in construction, and efficient in operation.

Other objects of the invention will appear more fully hereinafter.

rIhe invention consists substantially in th construction, combination, location, and relative arrangement of parts, all as will be more fully hereinafter set forth, as shown in the accompanying drawings, and finally pointed out in the appended claims.

Referring to the drawings, and to the various views and reference signs appearing thereon, Figure 1 is a view in front elevation of a machine embodying the principles of my invention.- Fig. Q is a View in side elevation of the same, Fig. 3 is a top plan view of the same. Fig. 4 is a broken detail view in top plan, the upper bending or coiling roll being removed, showing the arrangement and relation of the lower bending or ceiling rolls and the coiling spindle. Fig. 5 isa fragmentary detail view showing the manner of coiling the wires to form the sheathing.; Fig. 6 is a detail-view of a coiling roll and its shaft. Fig. 7 is a broken detail, sectional view showing the coiling spindle on which the-sheathing is coiled.

The same part is 'designatedby'f the spare` reference sign wherever it`occurs through- I out the several views. z r

In carryiiig out1my=invfentin I propose to form a sheathing by continuously -coiling two wires together, their respective coils being arranged in alternate relation with respect to each other, and preferably, though in this respect I do -not desire to be limited or restricted, I'employ wires ofdiderent sizes, the inside diameter of the coils of the smaller wire being less than the inside diameter 4of the coils of the larger wire. 'I`o Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 2, 1916..

Application led August 15, 1910. Serial No. 577,553.

effect the desired result I bend the wires into.l

coil. form, the one in interlocking or alternatmg relatlon with respect to the other, and I progressively advance thel successive coils and continuously feed the wires to the coillng devices under proper conditions of tension whereby the completed product is turned out in a continuous manner, and

limited in length only by the length of. the

wires employed.

Many specifically different constructions and arrangements of devices may be employed for carrying my invention into pract1cal operation. .While, therefore, I have shown, and will now describe, one construc-` tion which I have found practical and efcient for the purpose, my invention, as defined in the claims, is not to be limited or restricted in its broadest scope to the particular form and arrangement shown.

a In the embodiment disclosed in the drawings I employ a short spindle or mand-rel on which the wires are coiled, the coiling of the wires thereon being accomplished by grooved rollers equally spaced around the spindle and suitably geared to rotate, and maintained under suitable pressure to accomplish the work required of them. I also place one or both of the wires under suitable feed tension. In practice, and in one embodiment of my invention, I place the the standards 1l, 12. The standard 11, carries the bearing for the drive shaft 13, of the machine said shaft receiving rotary motion from any suitable or convenient source of power. rllhe coiling spindle or mandrel 14, is removably mounted in the end of shaft 13, being held, in place bv a screw 15, or other equivalent means. is provided with an enlarged portion 16, on which the larger wire co-il is formed, and a reduced portion 17, on which the smaller wire coil is formed, the reduced portion 17, being at the eXtreme end of the mandrel.

'Ihis mandrel thecoiling rolls 18, 19, 20. Theserolls aref shown as being equally spaced apart angu- Arranged in surrounding relation'with respect to the mandrel to form a'coiling space with the mandrel at the center thereof, are

larlywith reference to the axis of the mandrel. The rolls are respectively carried by the shafts 21, 22, 23. The shafts 21, and 22, of the lower rolls 18, 19, lare mounted at their ends in journal bearings formed 1n the standards 11, 12. The structures of these shafts and rolls hare the same, one of them` f being shown in Fig. 6.

The upper roll shaft 23, is journaled at its ends 1n bearings formed in the arms of j a `bracket 24, pivotally mounted at their whereas vthe roll shaft 23, is .mounted in a pivoted bracket or yoke 24, and therefore lby rocking or swinging said yoke upwardly `the'roll20 and its shaft 23,'may be raised i to permit access to the .coiling spindle or mandrel 14, or the coils thereon.

The upper roll vmay be held yieldingly -'pressed downwardly towardl the mandrel in any convenlent manner.

" rangement 1s shown wherein a swing rod A simple ar- 30, is pivotally connected, as at 31, to a latch lever 32,- the latter' beingv pivotally mounted upon fixed .parts of-the standards, as at 33. The uplper end of rod 30, is received in a latera slot 34, in the free end of bracket 24, and a'spring 35, is interposed between collars 36, 37, respectively bearingagainst the upper surface of bracket 24,

relation with respect to each other that they maybe brought into vertical line, as

vseen in Fig. 1, thereby not only drawing the rod 30 endwise downwardly so as to cause the spring 35 to exert a desirable tension upon the upper roll bracket24, but also locking the parts in this relation. By

lrocking the latch lever 32 upwardly the i j tension is relieved and the rod 30. is freed to permit the same to be released from the seat or slot 34, thereby releasing bracket 24,

'to permit the same to be rocked upwardly out of the way, carrying the upper roll 20, with it.

the coiling. spindleiwithout any material degree of tension, that is, ordinarily, the tension imposed on this wire bymerely drawing it from the supply reel is snfcient for all practical purposes, though in this respect my invention, asd'efined 1n the claims is not to be limited or restricted,- since varying degrees of tension may-be desired or v required according to varyingv conditions,

requirements or characteristics sheathing to be. produced.

Ordinarily a considerable tension is re. quired for the other wire 40. I have shown a simple arrangement of tension device forthe purpose wherein the path. of feed. of

of the said wire leads between the series of lower tension rolls 41, andthe upper tension rolls 42. Anydesired number of these rolls may be employed according to the requirements, or any other suitable or equivalent tension means may be employed. I have found that ordinarily three lower rolls 41, and two upper rolls 42, are sufficient, these bein' arranged, vas shown, with the upper rol s 42 located above the spaces between each two adjacent lower rolls. In order to adjustably regulate the degree of tension to be imposed upon the wire 40, the upper tension rolls are mounted in a slide plate indicated by dotted lines at 43, the'height of which may be varied by means of the adjusting screw`44, thereby varying the relative adjustment of the upper tension rolls relative to the lower rolls, and hence ad- `justably regulating the tension on the wire which isv fed between said rolls to the coiling mandrel.-

In order to secure the desired progressive feed of the completed sheathing from the coiling'mandrel, that is, the progression of the coils of the sheathing as the same are "formed, I propose to feed the wire 39, to

the coiling mandrel in a plane `parallel with and next adjacent the end surface of the mandrel shaft 13, and any suitable, or con- -venient means for progressing the coil, as and a nut 38, adjustably mounted on the threaded end of rod 30. The pivot axes 31, .33, of rod 30, and latch lever 32, are in such it is formed, endwise of the mandrel .may be employed. A simple arrangement is shown wherein the coillng rolls 18,' 19, and

20 are peripherally grooved.l One of,these rolls, say the upper roll 20 is provided with a peripheral'groove 45, in the vertical plane of the line of feed of the wire 39, andwith regularly formed successive grooves of equal width corresponding to the size of the wire and equally spaced apart thereafter.

The next roll, 1n the winding or coiling' direction, say, for instance, roll 19, is also provided with peripheral grooves of the same width as the peripheral grooves of roll 20, and also equally spaced apart from each other, but the initial groove of said roll 19, is advanced a distance one third the transverse width thereof with reference to i the initial groove of the top roll 20, that is,

nario? a distance onelthird the diameter of the Wire 39. Similarly thel third rollv 18, is

grooved peripherally, but` the initial groove vthereof is advanced a distance equal to one third the diameter of the wire, with reference to the initial groove of the roll 19, or

a distance of two'thirds the diameter of the Wire with reference to the initial groove of the top roll 20. It willbe seen that this arrangement causes a continuous progressive advancement of the formed coils, asy they are formed, longitudinally of the coil-l ing mandrel, whereby as indicated in lFig. 3, the completed sheathing is continuously advanced or fed from the machine as the coils thereof are formed, and is limited in length only by the length of the Wires employed. v

While ll have shown and above described one construction and arrangement for accomplishing the continuous feed of the completed sheathing from the machine other. specifically different arrangements and constructions might equally well accomplish the desired result. ln the broadest scope of my invention, as defined in the claims, therefore, I do not desire to be-limited or restricted in respect to the specific form of advancing means for the completed sheathing. v

'The smaller Wire 4:0, as above stated, is preferably though not necessarily, coiled to a somewhat smaller diameterv of coil than that of the larger wire. Where the smaller Wire is coiled to a smaller diameter of coil than the larger wire l prefer to reduce the diameter of the coiling mandrel, as indicated ati-'17, at the point where the smaller wire coils are formed, and at this point l omit the grooves in the peripheries of the coiling rolls 18, 19, 20, and also slightly reduce said rolls in external diameter,`as indicated at 48, Fig. 5, thereby permitting sufficient clearance for the larger Wire coils when the smaller Wire coils are formedand forced-betwl'een them, as clearly shown. The increased above eXpl'ainedlenables the smaller 'wireecoils to be formed and forced between thelarger wire coils, while the continuoils advancing feed of the larger wire coils as they are formed will also carry along with them the interlocked smaller wire coils.

By the arrangement of -mechanism above described ll am enabled to employ a shortcoiling mandrel and to readily remove and replace the same as occasion may require.

ln order tov start up the machine the feed-in end of the larger wire is first preliminarily and initially coiled into several turns as ay starting coil. This starting coil is then slipped endwise over the coiling mandrel, the upper roll, meanwhile being raised out of the way. The smaller wire is then led into proper position and coiled at its end into one or more convolutions, as shown in 'Fig 5. l'llhe upper roll` bracket is then lowered and locked, and the machine started up, that is, rotation is imparted to the shaft 13, the wires being drawn' from conveniently arranged reels arranged to pay out the Wires in the'proper manner as required b the Inachine, While thecompleted article feeds continuously oil the venol of the mandrel, the desired looseness or tightness of the coils being regulated by regulating the'tension on the Wires..j`

Where the rolls 18, 19, \diameter thanv the coiling the coils formed thereon, and hence 'travel at a, greater peripheral speed of the coils,l then the resulting slip of the peripheral surfaces of the said rolls upon the outer surfaceof-the convolutions ofthe wire will exert a spinning effect tending to'stretch or draw out the metal of the wire convolutions thereby aiding in the coilingl operation not only to form the convolutions-but also to distribute the strains produced by the coiling operation thereby tending to set the coil and to prevent appreciable tendency of the convolutions to expand. Any such spinning action asmabove referred to would be dependent, obviously, upon a rate of peripheral speed of the rolls 18, 19, 20, greater than that of the convolutions of the coil, and, this, of course Would depend upon the ratio ofl gearing employed to drive the rolls and the mandrel.l Should the coil slip to any extent, onthe coiling mandrel, however, this spinning action would be correspondingly decreased.lv These are all theoretical details which may safely be left to the mechanic in 2() are of greater mandrel 17, or of constructing the machine.

Having now set forth the object and nature of my invention, and a construction embodying the principles thereof, and having described such construction, its purpose, function,and.modev of operation, what ll claim as new and useful and of my own invention, and desire to secure byA Letters Pat- 1. ln a zmachine for making flexible sheathing, alcoiling mandrel, means for continuou'sly coiling two wires into coils of relatively different diameters upon said mandrel, with the coils of one Wire having its convolutions in alternating and partially interposed relation to the respectively adj acent convolutions of the other wire, one of said Wires being smaller in size than the other, and means for imposing an adjustable tension upon the feed of the smaller wire. 2. ln a machine for making flexible sheathing, a coiling mandrel, means for continuously coiling two wires upon said mandrel with their coils of relatively different diameters and in alternating partially interposed relation, the one inside the other, one of said wires being of smaller diameter V coil forming means vconstructed to feed sheathing a coiling mandrel having an enlarged portion and a reduced portion, means for` lcoiling two wires, one upon eachl of said.

portions with the coils of one wire inside those of the other and having their convolutions respectively in alternating and partially interposed relation, and means for lmposing a tension upon the feed of the Wire coiled upon the reduced portion of said mandrel.

4. In a machine for making flexible sheathing, means coperatin to coil two wires into coils of relatively iierent diameters, the one inside the other, with the convolutions 'of the inner coil partially interposed between those of theouter coil, the

formed coils from the machine.

5. In a machine for making flexible sheathing, means for coiling two wires into coils of relatively different diameters, the one inside the other, with the convolutions l of the inner coil extending partially into i the space between those of the outer coil,

means for imposing a tension on one of said wires, the coiling means operating toA feed the formed coils from the machine.

6. In a machine for making flexible being formed into va coil, the coilin sheathing, means coperating, to coil two Wires into interlocking coils of relatively different diameters, theV one inside the other.

with the convolutions of the innercoil extending partially into the space between those vof the other coil, and means to impose a tension upon one of said ywires while means operating to feed the formed coils. romthe machine.

,7. In a machine sheathing, a coiling mandrel having an enlarged portion and a reduced portion, means for simultaneously coiling twowires, one upon each of said portions with the convolutions of said coils in alternating and partially interposed relation, the one coil inside the other, means for applying to the wires supplied to said mandrel portions relatively different tensions, the coiling means operating to feed the coilsendwise from the end of the mandrel as they are formed. f

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in the presence of thesubscribing witnesses, on this 25th day of July, A. D., 1910.

lllitnesses: i

' J. C. HOWELL, A. E. Mo0N.

' fof. making flexible' 

